Goals for Continuous Improvement
How committed are you to continuous improvement across multiple plants? Do you have plants that perform better than others, even though they produce the same products? Here are the things you need to begin this process:
- Clear vision of how you would like things to function
- Outlined path to achieving excellence
- Comprehensive plan of communications
- Thorough training program
- Deep cultural commitment that engages entire workforce
Each plant is different but try to make them as standard as possible. Make sure all plants are outfitted with the same machinery, infrastructure, product volume, etc.
Take successes from other plants and start them as “pilot programs” in your plant. Invite the teams from those plants to train your team on the efficient use of their programs. Since they have already been successfully using these systems, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. New pilot projects will not catch on if they do not have someone at the new plant taking ownership and collaborating with their team on the project. These pilot programs first need to be self-sufficient in each factory, and then the team can go to other factories and help them adopt similar systems.
“Consistency of purpose” is necessary for successful leadership. The plant with the best leadership will outperform the others. When plants try to implement changes and the upper management is not engaged, these changes are usually short-lived.
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